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If you’re heading to New Orleans for the biggest weekend in the Big Easy, chances are you've received suggestions and recommendations from the Internet, your old frat bros, and about a dozen bartenders. So, if you’re feeling overwhelmed or a little lost, don't fret. This list of parades, parties, and watering holes has be approved by NOLA locals—every location is worth your precious time by the Bayou. After all, if you spend your nights pounding Fireball shots on Bourbon Street and your mornings (and, let’s face it, afternoons) nursing a terrible hangover, the people of America’s friendliest city would feel partially responsible for not showing you the time of your life. Read on to get the scoop on Mardi Gras’ biggest do’s and don’ts, the best spots to see the biggest parades, super-secret balls, funky live music throw downs, daily dress codes, and where you can grab one last purple drink after the clock strikes midnight on Fat Tuesday (Tuesday, March 4). So laissez les bons temps rouler—let the good times roll!
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Must-see Parades
Dozens of obscurely named parades start rolling through the city as early as February 15, but many of the local favorites don't start until the Thursday before Mardi Gras. If you arrive early, you'll be able to make the Knights of Chaos uptown at 6:30pm and then the all-female Krewe of Muses on Napoleon Avenue. Over the weekend, make sure to catch "super krewes" Endymion and Bacchus. Endymion rolls through mid-city on Saturday afternoon and then head to St. Charles in the Garden District on Sunday for Bacchus to see Hugh Laurie presiding as this year's king. Locals tend to skip most of Monday's parades because everything starts early on Fat Tuesday and can end early, too, at least by NOLA standards.
Get Some Culture
Yes, parades are full of beads, booze, and debauchery, but there's a whole lot of culture and history in there, too. Originally founded as a social aid organization in 1916, the Krewe of Zulu quickly became known for its spoofs of Carnival royalty. During the 1960s it became the first African-American parade to march down St. Charles Avenue and Canal Street, traditionally reserved exclusively for white parades. If you're into learning more about their history, check out the Zulu Lundi Gras Festival on Monday before heading to their parade bright and early Tuesday morning to try to catch one of their famous coconuts.
A less publicized but equally elaborate celebration is that of the Mardi Gras Indians. Their parade dates, times, and routes, are never published in advanced and are generally pretty lose, with groups splitting up into two tribes and engaging in symbolic fights whenever they meet. Check with locals once you're on NOLA ground to see if you can get the inside scoop, but the parades always take place on Fat Tuesday and can be usually spotted in Treme and Central City.
The Balls
For locals and krewe members, balls are a huge part of the Mardi Gras celebration and range from high society affairs to trippy raves. Most are not especially publicized and it can be next to impossible for outsiders to find tickets, but if you are able to score an invite don't hesitate to go—especially if its MoM's Ball, thrown by the Mystic Order of Misfits. It's basically a super secret drug-fueled rave on the West Bank on Saturday after Endymion. The theme of the event changes every year and if you don't show up in a crazy costume, the rule is you have to strip down and go naked. If you're looking for something a little more low-key and less of hassle to try to get into, try Orpheuscade. The black tie event is thrown by the Krewe of Orpheus, founded by NOLA native Harry Connick Jr. in 1993. It takes place on Lundi Gras and always features a great lineup of musical performers. It's also BYOB!
Surviving Bourbon Street
Since the Friday parades are nothing to write home about, some locals suggest making this your night to hit Bourbon Street and get it over with (others will tell you to avoid it all together). If it's you're first time in the Big Easy, you shouldn't feel bad doing the touristy thing, but, for your own sanity, a balcony is a must. If you stay on the congested street you are looking for trouble, so it's worth paying for an all-inclusive package at a Bourbon bar to get food and drink, bathroom access and, of course, an awesome view. Bourbon Heat is popular with college kids, Maison Bourbon Jazz Club is more upscale, and Bourbon Vieux has the biggest balcony out there.
The Dress Code
Mardi Gras is costume time, so for all you New Yorkers: Don't think you can get away with leaving the house in all black. Plan on working the official colors of purple, green, and gold into every outfit leading up to Fat Tuesday, because then it's time to pull out all the stops. People will spend weeks working on a costume for the biggest day of the year, whether it's an actual person, character, or just a glittery hodgepodge of wigs, wings, masks and latex. Some parades have themes that change year to year, so if you're planning to center your day on a specific event, do some research.
Eat Up
New Orleans is the perfect place to stuff your face any day of the year, but come Mardi Gras it's time to throw a few more things into the mix. Remember: Fat Tuesday is the day before Lent, which traditionally means it's time to give up some of your favorite naughty foods, drinks, or habits. So scarf down every po' boy, muffuletta and beignet that comes your way—just make sure to save room for King Cake. It doesn't matter whether you buy one of these sweetened, frosted yeast breads at a grocery store or a fancy bakery, this cake is an integral part of any Mardi Gras celebration. A token or coin is hidden in every cake, and once it's cut and shared, the finder is said to have good luck for the next year. Another traditional Mardi Gras treat? Popeyes! Pick up a family-sized meal and bring it to the neutral ground to munch on during parade time. And don't forget the Zapp's chips!
Leave the French Quarter
Chances are that if you tell a local you spent your entire Mardi Gras weekend drinking on Bourbon Street and easting on Esplanade Avenue, they'll look at you with pity. Hit Frenchman Street at night for incredible live music from local talents playing everything from jazz to quirky fiddle solos—often for no cover charge. Mimi's in the Marginary on Royal Street is perfect for a little Saturday night dancing with DJ Soul Sister spinning funk upstairs and plenty of pool sharks to face off against downstairs. Lundi Gras is a big music night in general with famed funk and jazz jam band Galactic playing at Tipitina's late at night. In terms of daytime exploring, see if you can get into Casamento's on Magazine Street for their famous Italian-inspired oyster sandwiches or head to Domilise's, about a 15-minute walk away, for their fried shrimp po' boys. On Sunday, get down to the Garden District early before Bacchus rolls through to "ooh" and "aww" over the gorgeous mansions before they're completely covered in beads and red cups.
The Skinny on Nudity
If there's one thing that first-timers tend to get the most confused about, it's what comes off and what stays on. In general, women can flash or strip down entirely if the occasion calls for it, although you may be surprised at how little of that you see outside of Bourbon Street, where the boobs usually belong to drunk tourists. However, the same cannot be said of guys. Things are certainly a little more lax in gay-friendly lower Bourbon, but if a cop actually catches a dude whipping it out, he can expect anything from a very stern warning to being taken to the station. So guys, if you feel the need to get in on the nudity, put on a pair of fake plastic boobs and you just might leave with more beads than your girlfriend.
Other No-Nos
There are three rules during Mardi Gras that are strictly enforced and pretty much the only no-nos that will get you arrested immediately: No glass on the street, no peeing in public, and no fighting! (This includes anything that leads to a fight, like spitting on someone.) There are undercover cops everywhere that may let you get away with smoking weed, but absolutely no fisticuffs. Yes, it's Mardi Gras—get wild, but keep it together. You should still tip at bars, shouldn't throw up everywhere, or pass out in a dirty Bourbon Street puddle. Cherish the city. Carnival isn't time to come in and trash it. Have some respect. Give a fuck.
Time to Go Home
The festivities start bright and early on Fat Tuesday, so get up and make the most of it because Mardi Gras has a "suggested" hard stop at midnight. After the King and Queen of Rex meet, police on horseback will come down Bourbon Street and announce that Mardi Gras is over. Police cars and street cleaners will follow in what looks like a ceremonial procession, so make sure to cheer along with the crowd as a way to thank the city for such a great time. While you can't stay on the street, bars like Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop stay open until one or two in the morning for the folks who aren't quite ready to call it a night. So grab one last purple drink before it's time to return to reality.